Peak flow water storage basin system and method

ABSTRACT

This invention provides a method and system for abating flooding that uses retention or detention ponds that require less surface area than prior art methods. The invention comprises at least one deep but narrow pond or water storage basin that can be pumped down during non-flood periods to an adjacent or remote water body. In one embodiment, the invention further comprises a levee to forms part or all of the water storage basin. The water levels in the water storage basin are controlled through a series of sensors, gauges, and/or valves either manually or automatically both for flow coming into the water storage basin during peak levels in an adjacent or remote water body and after peak elevations.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Ser. No. 63/234,534, filed Aug. 18, 2021, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

Reference to a “Sequence Listing,” a Table, or a Computer Program

Not Applicable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This is a method and system for abating flooding that uses retention or detention ponds that require less surface area than prior art methods. The invention comprises at least one deep but narrow pond or water storage basin that can be pumped down during non-flood periods to an adjacent or remote water body. This means that the water storage basin takes up less land area and can be located away from a water body. In one embodiment, the invention further comprises a levee to forms part or all of the water storage basin.

The water levels in the water storage basin are controlled through a series of sensors, gauges, and/or valves either manually or automatically both for flow coming into the water storage basin during peak levels in an adjacent or remote water body and after peak elevations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the Peak Flow Levied Water storage basin System and Method, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances, various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention. Therefore, the drawings may not be to scale.

FIG. 1 is a depiction of one embodiment of the invention showing the location of gauges, levee, major piping, and other system parts.

FIG. 2 is a depiction of a second embodiments of the invention wherein a gravity feed is used between the retention/detention area and water body.

BACKGROUND

Community growth and urbanization have led to an increased need to divert water during rain events. This is especially true in low-lying areas or regions and those that are prone to extreme rain events, such as flash floods and hurricanes, for example, the southeastern states along the Gulf of Mexico.

Storm water runoff can overwhelm city sewers and local pumping means. Thus, one method of storm water containment is to use a water storage basin. Water storage basins are meant to collect storm water or flood waters and release it at a rate that does not cause flooding and/or erosion. Water storage basins may also have a direct flow connection to a waterbody so that the waterbody levels can be maintained during a flooding event.

As referred to herein, there are two main types of water storage basins: retention ponds and detention ponds. A retention pond is designed with extra storage capacity to collect storm water during a rainfall event. It is a permanent dug-out area (or pond) that is designed to carry water at all times. Stormwater is typically diverted to the retention pond through underground piping connecting storm drains to the pond. Retention ponds, however, are only as useful as the extra storage capacity and can become overwhelmed during a storm. Retention ponds also require enough land to create sufficient capacity volume.

Whereas a detention pond typically has an orifice level at the bottom to allow water to drain off after some period of time to a waterbody. Detention ponds typically work on gravity in that the inlet is slightly higher than the outlet. Detention ponds, therefore, need a direct link to a water body to discharge storm water after a period of time. However, because detention ponds require large areas of land, finding available property near a body of water can be difficult, especially in concreted/developed areas that need stormwater abatement most.

For both retention and detention ponds, one of the main issues is land needed to support the capacity. None of the prior art retention and detention pond methods are able to address this issue. The invention herein provides a novel solution to the location and amount of land needed for flood abatement ponds.

Additionally, for both retention and detention ponds, the flow velocity and/or level in the pond is not metered or directly and precisely controlled. This invention provides a novel method that uses a series of gauges, sensors, gates, and/or valves which are automated and/or manually controlled to direct the volume and direction of the flow to and from the pond (or water storage basin).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of the present invention is described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to necessarily limit the scope of claims. Rather, the claimed subject matter might be embodied in other ways to include different steps or combinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies.

This is a method and system for abating flooding that uses retention or detention ponds (referred to herein collectively as water storage basins) that require less surface area than prior art methods. In a preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 1 , the invention comprises at least one levee to create a deep, but narrow water storage basin that can be controllably pumped down during non-flood periods to an adjacent or remote water body. In other embodiments, the invention does not include a levee. In either embodiment, the water storage basin takes up less land area and can be located away from a water body.

An inventive element of this system is that the system controls both the volume and direction of water flow between the water storage basin and waterbody.

In one embodiment, a water storage basin 1 is dug, which is approximately 6 to 30 feet deep and preferably greater than 10 feet deep. In a preferred embodiment, the removed dirt (or other dirt) is used to create a levee around the water storage basin 1. The levee may also not be an earthen levee, and instead by made of concrete or some other suitable material for erosion protection, or some combination between an earthen and non-earthen levee.

The system also comprises a series of piping and pumps that direct water to and from the water storage basin 1. Any suitable piping to convey water may be used, for example PVC pipe, CPVC pipe, polyethylene pipe, or suitable metal pipe. The size of the piping will be dictated by the waterbody size, typical rain fall, and flooding event levels. There may be one pump 11 (shown as a square with a dual directional pump symbol on top in FIG. 1 ) with proper plumbing to allow water to flow through the piping in both directions. In other embodiments, there is more than one pump 11 to direct flow in opposite directions. The elevation and specific configuration of the piping is chosen by the user to facilitate the controlled flow both in direction and volume in the system. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show two potential embodiments. However, these are not the only manner in which the piping can be connected and are not meant to limit the piping configuration.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the water storage basin 1 is in flow communication with a water body 2, for example a creek, through a series of piping. At least one pipe is run from the water body to a high point of the water storage basin, the outtake pipe, 10 and at least one pipe runs from the water body to a low point in the water storage basin, the intake pipe, 6. A third pipe may also be used that runs below the pipe from the water body to the low point in the water storage basin 3. The pipes 3, 6, 10 may be installed through, over, or around the levee. The water body 2 may be adjacent to the water storage basin 1 or remote.

A series of float gauges 4, 5 determine the level of water in both the water storage basin 1 and the water body 2. The various pipes 3, 6, 10 are used to direct the flow along with block valves 7, 8, 9.

As shown in FIG. 1 , conveyance pipe located at element 3 is a third pipe that allows gravity drain between the water storage basin 1 and water body 2 during normal precipitation and/or non-flooding events. In this way, the water storage basin 1 can act as a retention pond with some water level present at all times. Depending on the placement of conveyance pipe 3, the water storage basin 1 may act as a detention pond during dry spells.

In the embodiment of the method and system shown in FIG. 1 , as water levels rise to a pre-determined point in the waterbody 2, a waterbody gauge 5 is activated. Activation of a gauge is a trigger that alerts the system to other actions that need to be taken, for example, opening or closing valves and activating or deactivating a pump. The entire system may be automated using a cloud-based or local processor. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1 , a sensor 12 may be located on the pump 11 in order to transmit triggers and actuate the pump 11 according to the levels of both the water storage basin 1 and waterbody 2 read by a water body gauge 5 and water storage basin guage 4. In other embodiments, the trigger can require user interaction such that a user would be alerted to the trigger and then act to close or open valves or activate or deactivating specific pumps. Or a combination of both automated and user-inputted actions may be used.

The gauges comprise any float gauge as known in the art. In one or more embodiments, the waterbody gauge 5 activation point is determined to be that level at which the water body reaches maximum capacity before flooding, at which erosion may begin to occur, or at any other level determined by the user, such as the flood and/or erosion level with a margin of safety.

Once the waterbody guage is activated, a valve 9 that is located on the third pipe 3 is closed to prevent water from the water storage basin 1 from entering, unmeasured, the third pipe 3 and flowing to the waterbody 2.

A pump 11 that directs water from the waterbody 2 to the water storage basin 1 is then activated. This pump 11 is preferably plumbed or calibrated so as to allow water to be directed both to and from the water storage basin 1. In other embodiments, multiple pumps may be used to meet this end.

In FIG. 1 , the pump 11 will direct water from the waterbody 2 to the water storage basin 1, with the manual or automatic opening of block valve 8, until the water level in the waterbody 2 drops to the water body gauge 5 set point. At which, time the pump 11 will be automatically or manually shut off. In this embodiment, the pump 11 also has a second shut-off trigger. If the water storage basin gauge 4, which measures the level within the water storage basin is triggered, this indicates that the water storage basin 1 has reach max capacity and the pump 11 will be shut-off.

In addition to activating the pump 11 to direct water from the waterbody 2 to the water storage basin 1, when the water storage basin gauge 4 is triggered, the system also closes block valve 7. Block valve 7 is any block valve as known in the art. In other embodiments, block valve 7 may be placed, as advantageous, along the piping so that water flow can be cutoff. For instance, it may be placed in such a location that would allow for a manual close of the block valve 7. It may also be placed such that the least amount of water pressure is experienced by the system when the block valve 7 is actuated.

When the waterbody 2 returns to normal level conditions as determined by the trigger at the water body gauge 5, the block valve 7 closes and the pump 11 is activated to pump water from below the levee freeboard (levee freeboard is the vertical distance from the base flood elevation (“BFE”) up to the top of the levee) out of the water storage basin 1 through the intake at piping, intake pipe, 6 and back to the waterbody 2 until the water body gauge 5 is triggered. Other levels may be used to meter the water besides the levee freeboard.

In one or more embodiments, the pump 11 is then deactivated, and flow valve 9 is opened through mechanical or automatic means to allow water from the water storage basin 1 to flow back to the waterbody 2 using gravity until the water levels reach equilibrium.

In one or more embodiments, it may be preferable to completely drain the water storage basin 1, such as in a detention pond. By positioning the flow valve 9, the water storage basin 1 can be completely drained into the waterbody 2 over time. In either embodiment, by draining partially or completely the water storage basin 1 back to the waterbody 2, the water storage basin 1 is prepared to receive stormwater and waterbody flood water during the next flooding event.

FIG. 2 depicts another embodiment of the inventive system and method. In this embodiment, the bank of the waterbody 202 is used as a levee on one side of the water storage basin 201, with a built levee along the other. Gravity based flow between the water storage basin 201 and waterbody 202 is used given the proximity of the waterbody 202 to the water storage basin 201.

The water flow between the waterbody 202 and water storage basin 201 is controlled through at least one, but preferably a series of valves or gates 209. These gates or valves 209 are controlled either automatically in conjunction with a water level sensor 212 a, 212 b or manually.

In one embodiment, the gate 209 is opened to allow flow between the water body 202 and water storage basin 201 until the pre-determined critical water level is reached in the water storage basin 201. By closing the gate 209, flow from the water storage basin 201 is not permitted to flow back to the waterbody 202 until levels have subsided.

In one embodiment, the water is allowed to gravity flow between the waterbody and water storage basin until a critical level is reached. In which case, the water is either metered through the valves/gates or flow communication is cutoff completely.

For the purpose of understanding the Peak Flow Levied Water storage basin System and Method, references are made in the text to exemplary embodiments of Peak Flow Levied Water storage basin System and Method, only some of which are described herein. It should be understood that no limitations on the scope of the invention are intended by describing these exemplary embodiments. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that alternate but functionally equivalent components, materials, designs, and equipment may be used. The inclusion of additional elements may be deemed readily apparent and obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Specific elements disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to employ the present invention.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the above examples, it will be understood that modifications and variations are encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the following claims. 

1. A system for flood abatement comprising: a. an intake pipe; b. an outtake pipe; c. a water storage basin in fluid communication with a water body by said intake pipe and said outtake pipe; d. a water storage basin gauge that measures the level of water in said water storage basin; e. a waterbody gauge that measures the level of water in said waterbody; and f. a pump in fluid connection with said intake pipe and said outtake pipe; wherein when said waterbody gauge is triggered, said pump is activated to direct water from said waterbody to said water storage basin through said intake pipe until said water storage basin gauge is triggered; when said storage basin gauge is triggered, said pump is activated to direct water from said water storage basin to said waterbody through said outtake pipe.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein said water storage basin is at least 10 feet deep.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein said waterbody is remote from said water storage basin.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein said water storage basin is levied.
 5. A peak flow retention method comprising fluidly connecting a waterbody and a water storage basin through a closable pipe, wherein the fluid level in said water storage basin determines the volume and direction of flow through said closable pipe.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein said closable pipe is blocked using a gate when the level in said water storage basin reaches a critical level.
 7. The method of claim 5 wherein said fluid connection between said waterbody and water storage basin is gravity based.
 8. A method for floor abatement comprising: a. an intake pipe; b. an outtake pipe; c. a water storage basin in fluid communication with a water body by said intake pipe and said outtake pipe; d. a water storage basin gauge that measures the level of water in said water storage basin; e. a waterbody gauge that measures the level of water in said waterbody; and f. a pump in fluid connection with said intake pipe and said outtake pipe; wherein when said waterbody gauge is triggered, said pump is activated to direct water from said waterbody to said water storage basin through said intake pipe until said water storage basin gauge is triggered; when said storage basin gauge is triggered, said pump is activated to direct water from said water storage basin to said waterbody through said outtake pipe. 